Fire Emblem: Dawn of Darkness
by Galvani
Summary: Imagine a Tellius 20 years in the future. Now imagine an almost unstoppable army from the other side of the world. Nevermind, I'll imagine it for you.
1. Chapter 1

Prologue: Decades

Two full decades have passed in the land of Tellius. There have been alliances, marriages, uprisings, and liberations, but never any wars.

The countries made a pact: they would not fight one another, regardless of the Goddess's absence. They would not fight; they would solve everything diplomatically.

Queen Nailah of Hatari wished to move her people out of the desert. Sanaki, Empress of Begnion, happily ceded an eastern piece of the Empire to become New Hatari.

Did I say there were marriages? Why, of course there were. Elincia, Queen of Crimea, took General Geoffrey as her husband. They have three wonderful children. King Pelleas (for he remained King, he did not step down in this universe) married the Maiden of Dawn, Micaiah. They have twins, and those twins are to be the focus of my tale. But that comes later. The aforementioned Sanaki married the mage and diplomat Tormod, and somehow, managed to have five children, each one mastering a different form of magic. The newfound king of Goldoa, Kurthnaga, managed to take Ena's hand (for she got over the loss of Rajaion) and Ena is currently pregnant again. Naesala and Leanne married, but there union was nothing to speak of, internationally. Skrimir has not yet married, still in his wild years.

So, these past few decades have been ones of love, peace, and prosperity.

Until the ships were spotted.

They were seen coming just over the horizon by a platoon of the Gallian army protecting the coast. These ships had black sails. The Gallian army quickly sent a message to their king, for no one had ever seen ships come from that direction. Skrimir then sent this message to every other nation. Skrimir also promised to keep in touch about the ships.

The first message was also the last.

When the ships landed, all hell broke loose. No messages came to any other nation. A week after the original message, a group of hawk laguz went to scout Gallia. They found the countryside ruined. They found homes and villages decimated. The castle was destroyed. Then they found an entire armada of ships on the coast. The ships had black sails. Then they found ground forces on the move. One giant army marching towards Crimea, one massive one marching on Goldoa. The scouting group fled quickly back to the combined bird tribes in Serenes to report this. Tibarn then relayed the message to every other remaining country.

And this is where our story begins: an incredible force from the other side of the world is marching on Tellius. Who can stop an army that decimated a country in days?

--

**Author's Note:**

**This is my first Fire Emblem fic. I'm a huge fan of the AU and the next generation type fics, so I think those up alot. I'm just trying this storyline out, so what I really need is reviews. I would be so grateful if I could get as much feedback as possible. I'm pretty sure I know where I'm going with this fic, but the question is, are there readers who'll like where I'm going. I'm not just going to put up a story that no one likes. So, the question I'd like to have answered is: does this seem like an interesting story?**

**'Til next time, CCM.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello, readers!**

**I'd just like to thank my reviewers for the feedback, support, tips, and for pointing out my grammatical errors (it'll never happen again, I promise!).**

**I realize I didn't put a disclaimer into my first chapter, so I'll so that from this point on.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem or any of its characters, places, or concepts.**

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Chapter One: The Streets of Nevassa

The man walked briskly down the streets of Nevassa, capitol of Daein. He wore a cloak of the darkest purple with the hood up, shading his face. Underneath the cloak was a tunic and a robe, of white and gold, respectively. It was impossible to tell the man's age from this distance, for he purposely wore the cloak to remain an enigma while in town.

Why would he want to remain mysterious, you ask? Well, he wasn't really allowed to wander the streets of Nevassa. Someone would notice him and recognize him immediately. And he couldn't have that, not this man.

As he passed by a storefront, the vendor thrust out his arm, holding a fresh fish.

"You buy fish!" the vendor yelled, waggling the fish in the air.

"No, uh, I don't want the fish," the man mumbled, looking at the ground and trying to walk around the vendor, pulling the hood lower over his face.

"Buy fish!" the vendor repeated angrily. "Buy fish now!"

"No thank you," the man said. He managed to get around the vendor, then resumed his brisk pace down the street. He ignored the vendors calls, trying to sink further into his cloak.

Turning down the alley he was looking for, the man slowed his pace, still staring at the ground. Suddenly, the tip of a sword appeared in his view, halting him.

The man turned, a smile touching his lips.

"Peter, what have I told you about putting your weapons in my face?" he asked, pulling his hood down to reveal golden eyes set into a handsome, yet pale, face, framed by shaggy purple hair. The man was not quite a man, rather, he was seventeen. Almost a man.

The myrmidon, Peter, made a sarcastic bow.

"As you wish, Prince Walter," he said with a fake sincerity, "my apologies." He sheathed his blade.

Walter responded with his own brand of sarcastic sincerity. "Pardoned, my good knight."

For a moment neither spoke. Then they laughed, the hearty, self-assured laugh of young men, Peter slinging an arm over Walter's shoulders.

"We didn't think you'd be able to get out today," Peter said.

"My parents think I'm in my chambers, studying," Walter responded, rolling his eyes. The two began to walk further down the alley. "Are the others here as well?"

Peter nodded. "Thomas and Theodore are waiting for us up ahead."

As they reached the other end of the alley, two others their age came into view. One sported fairly heavy armor. An axe hung from his belt. The other was dressed lightly. He appeared to be agile and lithe, and a dagger could barely be seen hiding up his sleeve. At the sight of Walter, they both made comical bows, each extending his right foot and placing the heel on the ground. Walter made his own bow in imitation of them, restraining an urge to laugh as he did so.

They both straightened up, the one with the axe smiling.

"Thomas, wipe that smile off your face," Walter commanded. In a much more light-hearted tone he asked, "where's Toto?"

Thomas stopped smiling. "Toto? The wyvern? Hell, he's probably enjoying a venison steak. My little sister spoils that wyvern silly."

"Milord, it's so good to see you on this beautiful day!" Theodore called out melodramatically. "Your eyes are like the stars in the heavens, your hair like soft velvet --"

Thomas slapped him. "There's only room in this town for so much royalty, you drama king."

The four of them shared another laugh. They had planned to find a nice field just outside the city walls to practice their skills. Of course, such skills would hardly be necessary in this day, right? The entire continent had been quite peaceful for the last twenty years.

Naturally their plans were ruined, but not by disaster. By relatives.

"Oh very clever!" a voice called from the street. "Really witty, Thomas." The four young men turned to see a young woman their age strolling up the alley. She was also quite pale and had Walter's golden eyes. Only her hair was silver. Clearly she and Walter were related. But that's because they're twins.

"Ah Gabrielle," Walter said, still using a form of sarcasm. "How nice to see you today. How did you manage to escape the castle?"

"I told mom and dad I was taking care of my Pegasus," she replied simply, examining her nails while she spoke. A girl about two years younger than everyone else stepped out from behind Gabrielle. She had a bow and a quiver of arrows strapped to her back.

"Theodore, it was your turn to wash the dishes today. Mother sure was angry," she piped, glaring at her older brother.

Theodore clapped a dramatic hand to his forehead and feigned swooning. "Oh no! I've forgotten to do the dishes gents! We must return to my humble abode otherwise we shall all perish! Thank you for reminding me, my dear, sweet sister Susannah!"

Anyone who didn't know Theodore would think he was being sarcastic. Theodore made to turn around and go home, but before he could even take a step, three pairs of hands seized him. Walter, Thomas, and Peter all pulled Theodore back.

"A little shirking never hurt anybody," Peter scoffed, glaring at Susannah.

"Oh yes it did, sugar," Susannah said. "I'll hurt Theodore if he doesn't get home right now and do those dishes."

Theodore, surprisingly strong for his size, tried to pull away from his friends.

"You lay a finger on him," Thomas began, "and I'll feed you to my wyvern."

"You mean the spoiled one?" Gabrielle taunted, and Thomas flushed.

They continued like this for a while, Walter holding Theodore back, Thomas and Peter fighting a (losing) battle of wits with Gabrielle and Susannah (Walter was the brains of their operation). When it seemed like the retorts would never end, a painfully polite voice cut in.

"I really do think you should stop fighting," it said. "it isn't very healthy for friends like us to fight."

Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned toward that voice. Walking down the steps from the Nevassa church was Randall the priest. Although he seemed a very strange priest. He was always polite at first, but if one merely put a toe out of line, Randall would blow his top and out would come the Grand Hoo-hah of all Mr. Hydes. If that wasn't enough, Randall's "priestly robes" were black with blood red patterns woven into them.

"Oh, um, sorry Randall," Thomas said sheepishly, rubbing his arm. The rest of them muttered similar apologies, all looking very nervous.

"It's all right dear friends, the Goddess forgives, and so do I," he tittered, "sometimes."

No one said anything for a minute. They all liked Randall, but sometimes he could be… well … just damn creepy.

Then Walter noticed the shadows on the streets.

"Dammit! Look at the time!" he yelled, furious. "We're going to be late Gabrielle!"

"Shit!" she hissed, echoing Walter's sentiment. She and Walter dashed out of the alley and ran up the street toward the castle.

Walter turned as he ran. "Sorry guys, maybe next time!" he called out. He and Gabrielle wove through the streets, not caring who saw them or whom they bumped into. They eventually arrived at the castle gate, but skirted around it before they could be seen and climbed into the castle through Walter's window.

"Gee, that was… fun…" Walter panted, sitting on his bed.

"Well, I don't think we were noticed," Gabrielle grinned. "I'm gonna go to my room now. See you at dinner."

All in all, Walter and Gabrielle were pretty good friends. They had their tussles and their arguments, but what siblings didn't?

Fifteen minutes later, the siblings sat down to dinner. As their parents walked in, Walter winked at Gabrielle and she rolled her eyes.

Pelleas started the conversation. "How was your day?" she asked them.

The siblings responded with vague replies about the weather, books, and something a servant did.

Then Micaiah spoke up. "How're your friends doing?" The question seemed innocent enough, but the innocence was a coating that hid the venom and sarcasm in the question. Both Walter and Gabrielle winced.

"The next time you two want to go gallivanting around the city, you clear it with us, and you bring gaurds." Micaiah admonished. She didn't yell. She never yelled. Walter would have preferred it if she _had_ yelled.

"Mother, we're perfectly capable of protecting ourselves --" Gabrielle began, but she was cut off.

"I don't want to hear it," Micaiah huffed, and that's all she had to say to end the conversation. The rest of dinner was a silent, subdued affair.

Walter and Gabrielle went to bed smarting.

--

**Just wanted to get characters introduced for this chapter. I think we'll have a smidge of action next chapter, and then it really begins, so stick with me, mm'kay?**

'**Til next time, CCM.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Wow guys. Just wow. No reviews? For sixteen hundred words (exactly, no lie), no reviews? Why am I even continuing? Because the pool of ideas in my head is churning, that's why.**

**Sorreh, guys, I lied last time; there won't be any violence this chapter. Because the pool of ideas in my head says so.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem.**

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Chapter Two: Kings, Queens, Spies, and Visions

Sometime after dinner, but before everyone retired for the evening, King Pelleas and Queen Micaiah received three unexpected guests. The first was a Crimean messenger.

"The Otherworldly Army," he told them (for that's what it was being called), "has engaged the Royal Knights and the Grail Mercenaries on the Gallia-Crimea border. The Crimean side is suffering heavy losses, and could use assistance."

That was the end of the visit. The messenger however, was still holding audience with the King and Queen when the other two guests arrived. Queen Nailed of New Hatari and General Tanith of the Begnion Imperial Guard, to be exact.

"We have formulated a plan, we think," Tanith announced. "We believe this may help our allies. The Central Army of Begnion shall march to Goldoa and give them aid on that front. The armies of New Hatari and Daein should reinforce Crimea, as I hear they are suffering the heaviest losses."

Gabrielle and Walter, of course, were listening to this dialogue. They were encamped just in the hallway, making sure to catch every word.

"What of the bird tribes?" Pelleas asked, though there was no need to.

Nailah snorted. "Naturally, being the rash and reckless creatures they are, the bird tribes are using their aerial talents to attack the rear flanks of the Otherworldly Army in little hit-and-run battles."

"But, as you can imagine, Daein's assistance would be greatly beneficial," Tanith added.

Pelleas nodded gravely. "I see," he sighed, rubbing his face. "Then I must agree."

But that all was some time ago. Now Pelleas and Micaiah both sat awake in their chambers, contemplating the immediate mobilization of Daein's army.

"Of course, there's no need to wait," Micaiah sighed. "Nailah brought her army with her. I imagine she left Volug back home of course."

"There's no doubt," Pelleas agreed. "Which means we need to get things moving in the next forty-eight hours."

Micaiah turned to her husband. "If you will grant me the privilege, my King, I should rather like to lead the troops into battle. If you recall, I am still the General of Daein's army."

"No, Micaiah!" Pelleas snapped. "I'll not send you away! It's terrible to think what might happen with this war!"

"But, Pelleas --" Micaiah began, but Pelleas cut her off.

"No, you asked for the privilege, and I am denying it!_ I_ have that privilege."

Micaiah sighed, closing her eyes in annoyance. But when she opened them, she had an idea. "But of course, I'm the woman in this relationship."

Pelleas frowned. "Whatever do you mean?"

"I could always withhold sex."

"Micaiah, as King of Daein, I fully authorize you to lead our troops into battle!"

"I knew you'd see it my way, my liege," Micaiah half spoke, half purred as she slowly removed her nightgown.

The morning was unusually eventful. King Pelleas sound out a missive to the army and any young men and women who wanted to join the army. He declared that in two days' time, the Daein Army would travel to Crimea and reinforce it against the Otherworldly Army.

A call to arms this dire hadn't been heard in years, and naturally, there was a scramble. Able-bodied, able-minded, and talented youths joined the Army all over Daein, especially when they heard that Queen Micaiah, the Maiden of Dawn, would be leading them.

This call to arms did not have to reach the ears of Walter and Gabrielle; that very morning they went to their parents, not as children, but as humble citizens.

"Father, mother," Walter began, kneeling on the cold stone floors of the castle, "I would ask for your permission to allow me to join the army."

"Mother, father," Gabrielle joined in, "I would also ask for the same."

Pelleas was shocked, Micaiah was furious. "Absolutely not!" they cried together, jumping up from their thrones.

Then each began on their own thread, explaining why Walter and Gabrielle must not join the army.

"It is not the job of royalty to go gallivanting --"

"Join the army!? Are you insane?! You could be --"

"-- around the continent, killing--"

"-- hurt! You could be maimed! I could --"

"-- random soldiers, or getting into trouble! That's why --"

"-- lose my precious children! That's why --"

"_-- I expressly forbid it!_" They finished in unison again. Then the King and Queen stared at each other, unaware that the other had been speaking.

Walter began to speak again, still kneeling. "We won't be gallivanting, and I know how to fight, Your Majesties."

Gabrielle added her own excuse. "We won't be killed. We can defend ourselves. We'll help each other."

As Micaiah was about to offer another argument, the day became more eventful. Her farsight, which had seemed to be dormant, suddenly woke up like an erupting volcano. She placed her hands over her eyes and screamed, falling back into her chair. She convulsed numerous times, appearing to have a seizure. Her body finally relaxed and she regained control. She pulled her hands away from her face, leaned over the edge of the seat, and vomited.

Pelleas rushed to her, grabbed her, and held her against himself. Micaiah began to weep, great heaving sobs racking her body. Pelleas held her the entire time, stroking her hair.

Walter and Gabrielle had no clue what to do or what was going on, and merely sat there, dumbstruck.

When she had calmed down, Micaiah began to speak.

"I saw thousands of images, but only two stood out," she began, her voice shaky. Her eyes were half lidded, she appeared to be in a trance. "They both concerned Walter and Gabrielle. In the first, they were meeting with Queen Elincia. The second, was…" she trailed off, burying her face in Pelleas's shoulder. "It was awful. I saw their bodies lying on the floor, right where they kneel now. They were bleeding, dead. There were strange people huddled around them, all drenched in blood. They have to go. We have to let them join the army or… or they'll die!" she finally screamed, grabbing Pelleas's robes and shaking. Pelleas merely hugged her closer, still stroking her head.

"You two go," he said softly. "Go to your chambers. I'll see you shortly."

Half an hour later, Micaiah was asleep in her bed, and Pelleas was visiting his children. In fact he had gifts for them.

"Gabrielle, I'd like to give you this suit of armor," he said, holding out the garments. "It was specially crafted for a pegasus knight like yourself." The armor was a deep, royal purple and fit Gabrielle perfectly.

To Walter, Pelleas gave an exceptional tome of magic. "Walter, this is for you." He held out the tome, Balberith, which had become sort of a national treasure.

Walter was almost speechless. "Father, there's no way I could take this. I can't even use it!"

"You'll learn. You're quite the dark magician right now, or so your tutors have told me," Pelleas encouraged, placing a hand on his son's shoulder. "Just, make sure you're ready. Both of you. In two days, you're marching out to Crimea with your mother."

--

**Author's Note: I hope that seems plausible. With the farsight stuff. Review please. No, seriously. Review.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi guys. I think it's gonna get pretty crazy soon. I dunno. This chapter will be mostly characterization (I expect). But, y'know, I NEEDS FEEDBACKS. So review.**

**.melbmE eriF nwo t'nod I :remialcsiD (Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem.)**

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Chapter Three: The Road to Crimea and War

They had been marching for two days. They had just crossed the Great Bridge and were camping on the Crimea side.

The Daein army was weary from their march. The Hatari army wasn't really, but kept the same pace as the Daein army. Until Micaiah and Nailah agreed that Hatari should arrive as soon as possible in order to aid Crimea.

So then it was just Daein.

Walter and Gabrielle soon found out that their friends had also enlisted in the Daein army. Of course, they weren't ready for the harsh lifestyle. They marched all day, barely ate, and barely slept. Is this what they had so adamantly signed up for?

Walter knew it had to get better. Sitting in the tent he shared with Theodore, Thomas, and Peter, he pondered how he would fare on the battlefield. Would he succeed? Would he fail? Would he _epically_ fail? Would he be a help or a hindrance? Would he be a hero or just another fallen soldier? Would he--

He was shaken from his reverie by Randall. He poked his head in through the flap, his characteristic smirk on his face.

"You guys should get out and train while the sun's up," he commented. "The girls thought they would try and thrash you." His red eyes gleamed in the lamplight. He blew a strand of pitch black hair out of his eyes as he left.

The four teens were silent.

Peter spoke up first. "Does that guy get creepier every day?" he asked. He blew strand of red hair out of his brown eyes in a bad imitation.

Theodore stood and placed a hand on his forehead. "Oh! The very sight of his cold red eyes makes me shiver! Those eyes haunt me in my sleep! They are the phantoms of every failure and every tragedy this world has seen!" His green eyes scanned the audience for a reaction. Neither of the other three said anything. Theodore plopped back down, pouting. His blond hair hung in his face.

"We ought to get going," Walter sighed, standing up. He brushed some stray purple hairs from his eyes and left the tent, carrying a tome under his arm.

Thomas tied his extremely long blue hair into a ponytail and left the tent as well, mounting his wyvern Toto. He scanned the area with his purple eyes, then took off, flying to a nearby field.

Peter and Theodore both left the tent, following Walter.

They eventually arrived at the small field, where Randall, Gabrielle, and Susannah were waiting. Susannah had already mounted her horse, and even had an arrow notched in her bow. Her green eyes were fixed on the boys as they came nearer. They focused further on Theodore, and she let the arrow fly. Theodore, having the same eyes as his sister, slid a knife from his sleeve and easily sliced the arrow out of the air, flourishing his knife showily as he did so.

Gabrielle mounted her pegasus and grinned at the boys as they stopped. She pushed her long silver hair out of her eyes with a gloved hand (a hand that bore a certain brand).

Thomas landed near the other boys.

"If we're gonna practice," Susannah called, "we need to divide into even teams!"

The four boys looked at each other. They communicated the rules to each other with telling looks and pointed fingers. No siblings, and not Thomas, because then they'd have all mounted units. So, that left Peter.

Peter trudged glumly over to the girls.

Randall stood between the two teams. "I'll be the neutral healer, of course. You may begin."

At once, both Gabrielle and Thomas took to the skies. They flew around the training field, clashing frequently and quickly. Gabrielle's lance and Thomas's axe clashed together over and over, raining a shower of sparks down on the other battlers. As they flew towards each other for the ninth time, an unexpected gust of wind blew them off track. Gabrielle's lance embedded itself in Thomas's shoulder; Thomas's axe cleaved Gabrielle's side. The two landed and Randall rushed over.

"You two should be more careful; these are much more serious than usual," he said. The tone in his voice was not one of compassion; it was of cold mockery (and some joy). He focused, and the sphere at the end of his staff glowed a bright blue. Thomas's and Gabrielle's wounds closed up, and both took to the skies again, continuing their mad air dance.

Meanwhile, Peter had decided to target Theodore. The two were nearly matched in speed, neither able to totally avoid the other. Peter gasped as Theodore's knife scraped his arm especially deep, but returned the favor, giving Theodore a deep gash on his thigh. Theodore collapsed, unable to stand. Peter helped him up with his good arm and they hunched their way over to Randall who patched them up in no time. Done training for the day, they sat and watched everyone else.

Susannah and Walter were going head to head. Susannah was firing arrows off very quickly, and Walter was dodging, diving, and ducking while at the same time casting numerous dark spells. These globes of dark magic pelted at Susannah, but her horse was a fast one, and it easily got her through each one unscathed. As the dust cleared, she took careful aim. She let the arrow fly just as Walter turned to her. He wouldn't have time to dodge this one, it would catch him in the stomach. So, instead of dodging, he held up his tome. The tome caught the arrow, and exploded into dark flames. Walter shook his singed hands and sighed, defenseless.

Susannah smiled smugly and dismounted, leading her horse over to where the other two sat while Randall attended to Walter's hands. Soon after, Gabrielle and Thomas landed, and the seven of them sat together, not saying much.

At last, they noticed the time and they all jumped up, hurrying off to their tents. They actually slept well that night.

It would probably be the last time.

--

**Author's note: Why oh why do I keep updating? Because I want to get this story out of my head.**

**Review, si vous plez. (Is that even spelled right?)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Guys. I want reviews.**

**Warning: This chapter contains a fair amount of violence, and has a particularly bloody scene (nothing rated M though). If you do not wish to see someone repeatedly beat with a semi-blunt object, please leave now.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem.**

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Chapter 4: Armies Collide

"Walter!" A voice shouted from outside the tent, waking the four teens sleeping inside. "Get up, now!"

Walter jumped up, grabbing a tome and throwing on his cloak as he raced outside. The other three were close on his heels.

"Finally," Gabrielle sighed, rolling her eyes. "We need to go to mom. She's deploying part of the force to the Crimea-Gallia border to help the Royal Knights."

The seven teens, who now called themselves the Dusk Brigade (for the sheer love of irony), walked briskly to the General's tent. As they entered however, a frantic messenger pushed past them, gasping.

"We need a small strike force to be sent to one of the border fortresses!" he panted. "A very small group of Crimean nobles is under attack, and we are the closest to them!"

Micaiah rubbed her face, thinking hard. She then pointed at the Dusk Brigade. "You kids go. You need the practice."

Walter and Gabrielle bowed. "Of course, Your Majesty. We'll leave right away."

The seven left the tent quickly.

"We need to head southwest," Walter spoke quickly, briefing his fellows. "There are three of them and some Royal Knights holding off a scouting force."

"Do we have a deployment plan?" Peter asked.

"Assuming these nobles can actually fight, yes," Walter replied. "We need to form up around them so any ranged fighters and healers are protected. Everyone else stands on the outside. We take every attack in stride and we try not to break formation."

While they had been talking, they came over a hill, and saw the battle. There were three people, similar in appearance, who stood back while the Royal Knights engaged the Otherworldly Army. As they approached, the Dusk Brigade saw the last Royal Knight slaughtered.

"Damn," Walter muttered. "Daein army, to me! Form up around the survivors!"

They did so, and the three nobles turned out to be very interesting indeed. There were two women and a man. One woman was holding a staff, clearly a priest. The other sat astride a pegasus. The man was atop a horse, holding a lance. All three nobles has green hair and blue eyes. The man was the first to speak.

"If you need to defend, my sister Sasha and I should stand near the outside," he said. "Charlene, my other sister, should stay inside. I am Richard, by the way."

"Very nice to meet you, Richard, but enough with the pleasantries. We have some soldiers to kill," Walter answered.

The ten of them formed up, Peter and Theodore in the back, Gabrielle and Sasha on the sides, Richard and Thomas in front, and Walter, Susannah, Charlene and Randall in the middle.

The Otherworldly Army's commander spoke up. "We are what you call the Otherworldly Army! We can not be defeated! The only thing in your future is death!"

Walter replied. "We will be the ones to decide that!"

The battle began. It was the most ferocious battle the teens had ever seen. Wave after wave of enemy soldiers poured at them.

Thomas took to the skies, fending off other wyvern riders. He came into battle with a particularly fierce wyvern rider. The two flew at each other, brandishing their axes, and each struck their mark. Thomas struck a bit truer, and the opposing wyvern rider fell from his steed and landed on the ground with a sickening thud. Thomas landed, panting and bleeding freely, a half dazed look on his face. Randall immediately ran forward, his staff already glowing. He concentrated, and Thomas's wound slowly closed.

Out of nowhere, a fighter of considerable girth appeared and swung his axe at Randall. Randall barely had time to react, and the axe cleaved into the sphere atop his staff. Randall looked at it, stunned. He then looked up at the fighter, a sudden rage overtaking him. He swung the shattered remains of the staff at the fighter, the glass slicing into him. The fighter staggered backward, but Randall kept up a relentless assault, bashing at the fighter with the staff. The fighter's blood speckled Randall's robes and face, but Randall continued to beat the fighter long after he had died. Walter leapt forward and grabbed Randall's arms.

"He's dead! You're just wasting your time! He's dead!" Walter yelled. Randall turned to glare at him, his rage unabated. As he was about to retort Charlene popped into view.

"You can borrow one of mine," she offered, holding up a spare staff to Randall. His anger seemed to instantly dissolve as he accepted the staff.

"I apologize, my liege," he murmured to Walter, then moved back to his position.

Meanwhile, Gabrielle and Sasha took to the skies, bringing down enemy pegasi. They teamed up on each, Sasha attacking first, then Gabrielle finishing them off.

Richard, Susannah, Peter, and Theodore formed a tiny unit and went forward. Susannah shot enemy after enemy with her bow, every now and then turning it skyward to decimate a pegasus. Richard then rode out, shish-ka-bobbing the weakened enemies with his lance. Peter stayed by Susannah's side, picking off anyone she may have missed with catlike agility. Theodore merely dashed around, picking people's pockets.

As enemy mages advanced, Walter took the stage. He easily dodged blades of wind, plumes of flame, and bolts of lightning, then turned and fried a mage with a blob of darkness. He finally encountered a real test of his skill: another dark mage. They each sent waves of dark magic at each other each dodging, countering, and parrying. When it seemed as though the other mage had the upper hand, Gabrielle swooped down, bashing him with side of her lance. The dazed mage swung on his feet, and was instantly consumed by Walter's magic.

"You owe me one, bro!" Gabrielle called as she returned skyward.

However, more elite troops began to approach, including the commander. The small force found themselves less and less able to damage the enemy, and more and more on the run. They eventually drew back into formation, Charlene and Randall healing more serious wounds.

When all seemed lost and the teens began to lose hope, a great bolt of lightning erupted from the sky, striking the commander.

"Lightning?" Walter looked around, confused. "It's a clear day!"

"I told you children to stay put!" a voice called and a thunder sage came into view. His blond hair caught the sunlight and his blue eyes flashed.

"Jonathan!" Richard shouted. "How did you know we were here?"

"A Royal Knight alerted me," Jonathan sighed. "I told you not to leave! You know I'm responsible for you three!"

"Sorry John," Sasha shrugged.

"Hey, did you forget about me?" the commander asked, charging forward, sword raised.

Another bolt of lightning fell from the sky, but he dodged this one. "Ha! That the best you can do?" He began to swing the sword, but was shoved by a leaping wolf. He skidded aside, glaring.

The wolf howled and leapt too quickly to be seen. It bit at the commander's neck and tore out his throat in one clean motion. It spat the flesh out of its mouth and sat and watched as the commander gasped and fell. The wolf reverted to a human form. She appeared to be very young -- probably nine or ten.

"If you attack our allies, Hatari will destroy you," she murmured at the dying man. She then turned and raised her voice. "Soldiers of Hatari! Finish the rest of these troops! Leave none standing!" A great chorus of howls followed this shout, and a small platoon of wolves stormed the field, attacking all of the remaining soldiers.

After the battle was over, the three groups made their introductions.

Walter and Gabrielle were first. "I am Walter and this is Gabrielle. We are the prince and princess of Daein.

The wolf girl was next. "I am Caina, princess of New Hatari."

The Crimean soldiers went last. "We are the Royal Siblings of Crimea and this is our personal tutor and guard, Jonathan.

Walter spoke up again. "Our camp is very close to here. Perhaps you should all stay with us? It is almost dusk."

Caina nodded. "Thank you. That is very kind and we will accept."

Richard, Charlene, and Sasha also accepted.

Jonathan however declined. "I must return to Melior and inform the Queen of your whereabouts and safety."

He and a small group of Royal Nights set out towards the capital. The rest returned to the Daein camp and slept soundly.

--

**I hope that was enough battling for ya.**

**Here's what I need from y'all. I need reviews telling me two things:**

**1) Feedback.**

**2) What pairings of OCs would you like to see?**

**This chapter is the last time we'll see Daein for a while. I'm going to switch gears to Begnion for now.**

**So I hope you enjoyed, review, and have a nice day.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks for the review. I believe I'll address some of those points.**

**On the subject of grammar: I apologize for any mistakes I make; they just kind of happen.**

**On the subject of canon characters: I imagine many fans are looking for canons, and I can promise that they will arrive, but not for two or three more chapters.**

**On the subject of OOCness: Any unintentional OOCness from canons is totally my bad. However, if you squint, you'll notice that a bit of OOCness is for kicks and giggles.**

**This chapter switches gears from Daein to Begnion.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem.**

--

Chapter 5: From Begnion

The five of them marched at the head of the Central Army. Looking, you could tell a lot about them. They were clearly siblings; each had purple hair and red eyes. They were each a year older than the last, so the oldest and the youngest were exactly five years apart. In order from eldest to youngest, their names were Elizabeth, Samuel, Andrew, Marian, and Julian. The most important thing about them however, was their parentage. They were the children of Empress Sanaki and Emperor Tormod.

Elizabeth, being the oldest, was successor to the Empire and has thus mastered fire magic. In order to balance out the crew, Samuel was trained in wind, Andrew with lightning, Marian learned about dark magic, and Julian studied light.

The five now lead the Central Army to Goldoa.

Elizabeth was just going over the plan with the other four.

"So, when we arrive in Goldoa, we will go to the palace, and see King Kurthnaga," she explained. "I imagine that he will combine our forces with his under General Gareth. In that case, we will no longer be the commanders of the Central Army."

Samuel spoke up. "So, we'll basically become part of the Goldoan Army?" he asked.

"That's right," Elizabeth answered.

"But we won't be the generals anymore," Andrew sighed.

"No," Elizabeth rolled her eyes, "but that's for the best. Gareth has centuries of battle experience. We have next to none."

"Fine, fine," Andrew mumbled, but he didn't look fine with it.

The sun had begun to set. The Central Army made camp at the foot of the mountains that divided Goldoa and Begnion. Watching the sun set, Elizabeth sighed.

"I think this may be hopeless," she muttered to herself. As she was about to return to her tent, she noticed small black shapes flying from the east.

"Ravens?" she asked herself, watching them. They seemed to be flying towards the camp. "Damn. No way to tell whether they're with us or against us." She ran through the tents, waking up as many soldiers as possible. "Attack! We might be under attack! Get out here, you layabouts!"

The siblings emerged from their tents, each carrying a tome of magic. The soldiers poured out of their tents, ready for battle, and took up positions around the camp.

"What is it, sis?" Marian asked timidly.

"Not sure, Marian," Elizabeth answered, "but don't worry, we can handle 'em."

The black shapes grew larger and larger and soon were visible, even in the dusk. They were most certainly ravens.

The largest, obviously the leader, flew a bit forward and reverted to a human form.

"We are the Otherworldly Crows. We can't have you fools arriving to assist the Dragons, so we're going to destroy you here."

"I should think not," Elizabeth answered, also moving forward, her hand on a tome not visible within her cloak. "It is we that will destroy you for attacking our allies and disrupting our peace."

"You silly little beorc," the crow tittered. "I'll have the pleasure of tearing your pretty head off of your shoulders…" he trailed off, looking up. As he spoke, Elizabeth had read the spell in the tome, which she memorized by heart, and a giant flaming sphere had appeared over the crow's head. With a violent flare, the orb fell onto the crow with a muffled thud and exploded. The crow's charred carcass smoked and steamed on the ground. The other crows appeared to be in a state of shock.

"I'll give the rest of you the option to flee," Elizabeth said. "All of those who stay will be incinerated in the same fashion."

As though it had not heard her, one of the crows dashed forward, beak pointed at Elizabeth's neck. Just before it struck her, a great blade of wind materialized and sliced through the crow, sending its two halves flying.

Samuel folded his arms indignantly, glaring at the remains of the dead crow. "This is what happens when you challenge Begnion," he said simply.

At this, all of the crows advanced, flying forward and attacking every soldier in sight. The crows however, seemed to be poorly trained. All over, their calls of fury, pain, and death could be heard as they were impaled, cleaved, burnt, electrocuted, and stabbed.

Elizabeth, easily able to hold her own, moved to the front lines and continued raining fireballs down on the crows. The other four took up defensive positions, each helping another out.

Samuel diced a crow here, Andrew zapped another there, Marian engulfed two in darkness as they teamed up on Julian, Julian blinded a group that was charging Samuel and Andrew.

After hours of relentless charging, the crows were gone. The Otherworldly Crows had been decimated in no time at all.

"This makes you wonder how the Otherworldly Army could have destroyed Gallia so easy," Andrew pondered as they returned to their tents.

"This was just a test, I think," Elizabeth answered. "The Army was trying to see how good we are."

"I wonder if they got a good estimate," Samuel smirked, entering his tent for the night.

"They probably did," Marian said forebodingly.

The rest exchanged a worried glance and retired for the night.

--

**I hope you enjoyed the Five Sages. They were fun to think up. As usual, I want reviews. Actaully, just one or two would be good. As long as I get something answering my two fundamental questions:**

**1) Pairings?**

**2) Feedback?**

**Have a good day.**


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